What Dreams May Come

When I was a kid I watched this movie over and over and over again.

Chris, played by Robin Williams is a pediatrician whose soul mate, Annie, played by Annabella Sciorra is a talented painter. They have two children who die tragically in a car accident and soon after, Chris, too is killed in a car crash. Not able to handle losing her husband, Annie commits suicide. Typing that out makes me realize how strange it is that this was my favorite movie growing up - and still is today - given that it's so sad. But at it's core, this movie is about the power of love and art. If you can get past the sadness of the beginning, you get to dive into an epic adventure for Chris to find Annie in the afterlife. Also - when Chris first arrives in heaven he is literally IN A PAINTING. His surroundings, the ground, the plants, everything is made of paint. It's the coolest.

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Another love story. But this one is more offbeat. Kiera Knightley's character is all about the vintage records, so needless to say the soundtrack is delicious. When The Hollies song, "The Air That I Breathe" plays towards the end, I challenge you to not get goosebumps. Good luck. Plus, Steve Carell is the main character, and he is my favorite. I can't say much about this plot without ruining it, but I will say that after watching it for the first time - I immediately played it again once Ben got home from work because I needed him to love it too.

Side Note: Normally trailers make movies look better than they are - the opposite is true for this movie. The trailer makes this movie look dumb. It's not. :)

​**A taste of the soundtrack:

Almost Famous

When I was a teenager I was fairly certain that I was born in the wrong decade. Convinced that I belonged in a world where Led Zeppelin and The Who were creating brand new songs that felt like they were formed straight from your soul (dramatic, I know, but I was obsessed with this time in music that is hard to describe but clearly doesn't exist anymore). Almost Famous does an incredible job of capturing that unexplained feeling. Semi-autobiographical, the film was written & directed by Cameron Crowe (Elizabethtown, Jerry Maguire), and tells the story of a 15 year old boy writing his first story for Rolling Stone. He follows the band he's covering, Stillwater, on tour. A movie about love, friendship, and above all - really fucking good music. When the last song, "Tangerine" by Led Zeppelin, plays at the end, it's just perfect. If you need more convincing, maybe a cast of Kate Hudson, Frances McDormand, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Billy Crudup will change your mind?

Elizabethtown

Directed by my boy, Cameron Crowe, this movie tells the story of Drew, a failed designer for a shoe company, played by Orlando Bloom, who plans to commit suicide before being interrupted by a call from his sister (Judy Greer), telling him that their father died of a heart attack. The movie follows Drew's journey to Elizabethtown, Kentucky where his father passed, and learning to accept his father's death and in turn embrace his own life. With just about every good movie comes a good soundtrack and this is no different. Ben and I actually had the instrumental themesong played during our wedding ceremony (60B by Nancy Wilson). But what makes this movie in the top 5 is one particular scene that is done in such a flawless way that I seriously can not watch it without crying. I won't tell you which one, I'd be interested to see if it has the same affect on you.

Big Fish

Romantic, insanely colorful, one of those few times where you can say that the movie is better than the book (though the book is good too, don't get me wrong!). Like most, when I see something is directed by Tim Burton, I know it's worth a shot. Big Fish tells the story of a dying man and his son's attempts to find the truth out of the tall tales he has been told all his life. This movie is the reason why daffodils are my favorite flower. :)

I've honestly never thought about which movies inspire me! These are great! This is corny but I've always loved superheroes and watching those movies (cartoon or not) make me feel like I can do anything. :D Big fish is one of my favs btw! :')

Reply

Carter Cundiff

3/15/2017 07:55:03 pm

Oh my Orlando😍!!! Elizabethtown is one of my faves too! Anything with Orlando really haha! Big Fish is also another fave! The first the others sound amazing too! I'm going to have to check them out. Hopefully Netflix had them!!

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